About SAFE Agromet Project

Agromet project in APRSAF/SAFE aims to provide high-quality space-based agrometeorological (agromet) information including extreme events such as flood or drought for end-users to evaluate rice crop growth. To implement this SAFE Agromet project, it is crucial to have various space based agromet information from Asian space organizations. 

SAFE Agromet project SAFE Agromet project

ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisation

GISTDA: Geo-Infomatics and Space Technology Development Agency

JAXA: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

BRIN: National Research and Innovation Agency

JAIF: Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund

Project Leader:ISRO

Activities

Following activities have been completed:

  • Application of validated products to Rice Growing Outlooks (RGOs) of AFSIS;
  • Contribution to practical usage of data through APRSAF/SAFE website and related services;
  • Capacity building and training of data usage provided to Agricultural Statisticians in the ASEAN region funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

Data comparison between organizations

Inter-comparison or validation of space-based agromet information is imperative for accuracy improvements, interoperability or complementary use. Thus far, satellite derived Agromet data comparison between ISRO and JAXA with GISTDA’s in-situ data have been completed;

Agromet Data and Reports for comparison activities are available.

SAFE Agromet project

Future plan

  • Actively search for agencies/frameworks to extend the use of agromet information, especially in South Asia and compare agromet data with in-situ data in other regions.
  • Integrate project results into the AFSIS monthly RGO report through collaborative efforts to achieve project objectives.
  • Maintain coordination with AFSIS for sustainable use of project results.
  • The Agromet project is anticipated to conclude in 2024 at the SAFE Executive Board Meeting and APRSAF/SAWG, and APRSAF/SAWG with a commitment to continue supporting AFSIS’s RGO activities beyond project completion and dissemination of project achievement.

Capacity building

1) Training for Science based information sharing derived from Earth Observation Satellites for agriculture management in the ASEAN Region (2019 and 2021)

Training of data usage of Agromet products funded by Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) was conducted in 2019 and 2021 respectively. The main objective of the trainings is to improve the national capacities on the use of satellite data products developed by many agencies including Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), NASA, NOAA, Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) of agriculture agencies of the ASEAN member states. It was expected that the knowledge gain through this project would help member states to use satellite data products for their national agriculture information management in practices. Furthermore, the knowledge gained through the project definitely contribute to the ASEAN food security information system (AFSIS), being an ASEAN initiative helping the region.

⁠Organizers:

  JAIF

⁠Supporters:

  LAPAN/MoA (proponent, currently BRIN), JSF (Implementing Agency), JAXA (project supporter), GISTDA (Training Facility), RESTEC and AFSIS

Date and Venue:

  • 1st Inception Workshop: June 27, 2019 at LAPAN, Indonesia
  • 1st Training: 4-5 July 2019 at ARTSA Facility, GISDTA, Thailand
  • 2nd Training: 24 November 2021, Online

⁠Main activities:

  • Develop User Guideline Document for use of agromet information from JASMIN system
  • Share implementation strategy and achievements in the Inception and Final Workshop
  • Conduct training courses for ASEAN-SCOSA and AFSIS
  • User Survey to evaluate the effectiveness of JASMIN system

SAFE Agromet project SAFE Agromet project SAFE Agromet project

User Guidebook:

How to interpret JASMIN in Rice Growing Outlook, December 2021 (PDF Download: 2MB)

2) Training Program on “Satellite-Derived Agrometeorological Data for AFSIS’s Rice Growing Outlook (RGO)” for Agriculture Management in the ASEAN (2022)

Under the Space Application on Environment (SAFE) project in cooperation with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) of India, Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) of Thailand, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Japan, the training was arranged as a virtual program on the 11th July 2022.

⁠Organizers:

  SAFE/ISRO, JAXA, GISTDA and AFSIS

Date and Venue:

  11 July 2022, Online

SAFE Agromet project

⁠Main activities:

Participants from ASEAN learned the use of Indian Satellite derived agrometeorological information through the Meteorological & Oceanographic Satellite Data Archival Centre (MOSDAC) and Visualization of Earth Observation Data and Archival System (VEDAS) systems to improve the capabilities of satellite based products to solve the common problems in agriculture information system in each member state.

  • SAFE Overview, Agromet and Rice Mapping Projec
  • Demonstration of MOSDAC, Python and QGIS
  • Demonstration of VEDAS (including wide-area precipitation data)
  • Hands-on training for VEDAS

Presentation Materials:

3) Training on JAXA’s JASMIN (JAIF funded project) and ISRO’s VEDAS

Training programmes were conducted for JAXA’s JASMIN (JAIF funded project) and ISRO's VEDAS platform, co-organized by AFSIS for agricultural statisticians in ASEAN. These capacity-building activities were also featured as a good practice in the GEOGLAM document titled “Guidance Document On Good Practices For Designing, Implementing, And Evaluating Capacity Development Interventions In GEOGLAM,” published in June 2023.

Related Organizations

⁠ASEAN-SCOSA: ASEAN Sub-Committee on Space Technology and Applications

⁠AFSIS: ASEAN Food Security Information System

GISTDA: Geo-Infomatics and Space Technology Development Agency

ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisation

JAIF: Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund

JAXA: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

JSF: Japan Space Forum

BRIN: National Research and Innovation Agency

RESTEC: Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan